The Digestive and Excretory

Systems
By: Brigid, Hunter, Aditya, and
Casey

The Structure of the Digestive System

Begins in the mouth

Then proceeds through the pharynx and

esophagus

The food then enters the stomach

Auxiliary organs like the liver and pancreas

aid in later stages

The tract ends in the two intestines, small

and large

Function Of Digestive Organs

The overall function of this system is to break down food into smaller
molecules.

This allows the body to absorb the nutrients much more efficiently

In the mouth, enzymes such as salivary amylase conduct a chemical

breakdown, and chewing mechanically wears it down

The pharynx and esophagus push the mixture through to the stomach,
where hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and other enzymes deconstruct the
major macromolecules

Function of Digestive Organs (Cont.)

The pancreas produces further enzymes to regulate blood sugar, break

down macromolecules, and also nullifies stomach acid

The liver separates urea from converted amino acids, and also produces
bile for lipid digestion

The two intestines absorb the nutrients and water from the chyme

The villi absorb carbohydrates in the small intestine, and the lymph
vessels absorb fatty acids and glycerol molecules, and are aided by
bacteria

The Structure of the Excretory System

Many parts of the body are involved with

this process

These include the sweat glands

The liver plays an auxiliary role

The lungs aid in gas excretion

The kidney itself has a microsystem of its

own

Function Of The Excretory System

Function: To eliminate wastes in the body produced by homeostasis.

The skin excretes excess water, salts, and urea through sweating

The lungs expel carbon dioxide that cells produce during cellular
respiration

The kidneys purify blood and return it to circulation through a system of

functions called filtration, reabsorption, and secretion

In filtration, the glomerulus filters out any small molecules, but

prevents red blood cells and proteins from passing through

Function Of The Excretory System (Cont.)

The second process, reabsorption, has the nephrons reintegrate the

nutrients back into the bloodstream

Finally, in secretion, the urea is removed from the body through

sweat or urine

Interaction Between The Two Systems

In the digestive system, food molecules get broken down into nutrients.

Next, in the liver, which both systems share, these nutrients are turned
into amino acids and nitrogen waste, called urea

Then the toxins, along with the useful molecules, are carried along
through the body in the blood

Finally, in the kidney, the urea is filtered out and eliminated by the
excretory system

The filtrate is sent to the urinary bladder and eventually removed from
the body through urine

Our Model

Our model begins with a mouth, that chews the food and secretes saliva

Next, it travels down a pipe representing the stomach, where the food is
churned and chemically broken down, and the acid is filtered out

After this, the nutrients are sent to the liver, where they are converted
into useful nutrients and urea

The urea joins the blood and travels through a filter to separate it, with
the urea going to the urinary bladder

The useful nutrients are sent back in circulation to the cells